Piston-rod support.



PATENTED NOV. 8, 1904.

W. C. TROUT.

PISTON ROD SUPPORT.

lUNiTnn STATES Patented November 8, 1904.

VALTER O. TROUT, OF MILVAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

PlSTON-ROD SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 774,213, dated November 8, 1904.

Application filed June l1, 1902.

To all whom, it Hefty concern.'

Be it known that I, VALTER O. TROUT, a citi- Zen of the United States` residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of lVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Piston-Rod Supports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of mechanisms which is adapted to be used in connection with unusually-long piston-rods to support the same and prevent their sagging, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a long piston-rod with a simple and eflicient movable support.

A further object of the invention is to provide a long piston-rod with an independent movable bushing for supporting it during a portion of its stroke.

Further objects of the invention will appear from an examination of the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

The invention consists principally in pistonrod-supporting mechanism in which there are combined a fluid-pressure cylinder, a pistonhead movably mounted therein, a piston-rod secured thereto, an independent supportingbushing for such piston-rod movably mounted in the cylinder, means for moving it with the piston-rod, and means for stopping it at a predetermined point.

The invention consists, further,in piston-rodsupporting mechanism in which there are combined a Huid-pressure cylinder, a pistonhead movably mounted therein, a piston-rod secured thereto, an independent supportingbushing for the piston-rod movably mounted in the cylinder, means for securing the bushing to the piston-head so as to move it simultaneously therewith during a portion of the head stroke, and means for releasing it at a predetermined point or points.

The invention consists,further and iinally,in the features, combinations, and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a long iiuidpressure cylinder provided with a movable pistou-head and other parts constructed in ac- Serial No. 111,123. (No model.)

cordance with these improvements; Fig. 2, an enlarged longitudinal sectional detail of a portion of the cylinder, piston-head, pistonrod, and its support constructed in accordance with these improvements; and Fig. 3, a cross-sectional view showing the piston-rod with its movable supporting-bushing, partly in section and partly in elevation.

In the art to which this invention relates it is well known that where long fluid-pressure cylinders and long piston-rods are used, particularly in connection with the so called "steam-feed mechanisms of sawmills, there is considerable danger of buckling of the piston-rod in such mechanisms, vdue to the end thrust on'the same, owing' to the fact that the piston-rod is not supported at any point intermediate the piston-head and the end of the fluid-pressure cylinder. In these mechanisms the cylinders are anywhere from thirty to seventy lfeet long, with piston-rods from two and a half to four inches in diameter.l In use, although these piston-rods are supported by long stufing-boxes and piston-heads, they generally sag so as to wear a groove in the bottom of the bore and correspondingly injure or bend the rod. The continual binding or cramping of the piston-head in the bore owing to the sagging of the rod causes a large amount of unnecessary friction and a correspondingly uneven .wear of the bore, pistonrings, and other parts. Y

The principal object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a Huid-pressure cylinder and piston-rod of the class alluded to with one or more movable supports arranged between the forward end of the piston-head and the cylinder and so combined with other mechanisms that the support or supports will have a limited amount of travel and be stopped at predetermined points, all of which is arranged to furnish an economical and efficient support for the piston-rod, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth. A

In constructing mechanisms in accordance with these improvements a long fluid-pressure cylinder a is provided of the desired size, shape, and strength to sustain the parts and resist the stress and strains incident to use. As shown in the drawings, this cylinder is IOO composed of a plurality of sections arranged in alinement with each other and secured together at their flanged meeting-points by bolts, rivets, or other desired mechanisms.

One end of this cylinder is provided with a i long stuffing-box c, through which the pistonrod hereinafter described projects. h/Iovably mounted in the fluid-pressure chamber of the cylinder is a piston-head. d of the desired size, shape, and strength, and secured thereto is a piston-rod e, extendingout through the stuf'fing-box on one end of the cylinder'. An eX- amination of the drawings will show that the cylinder is an unusually long one and that the piston-rod is necessarily also unusually long and as a consequence that there is great liability' ofsuchpiston-rod sagging' or bending downwardly and correspondingly cramping' the piston-head, thereby causing considerable damage to the head and cylinder as well as other parts. .ln order to prevent such sagging or bending of the piston-rod, I provide an independent supporting-bushing f, surrounding the piston-rod and. arranged to move backwardly and forwardly in the bore of the fluidpressure cylinder a limited or predetermined amount. This supporting-bushing is provided with a central opening r and openings s between such central opening and the periphery of the bushing, making an open supportingbushing which permits the passage of fluid therethrough and is designed to be nominally free or loose from both the piston-rod and pisn I l ton-head, so that when 1t is moved to its supporting' position itis about midway of the cylinder, as shown particularly in Fig. l. During the forward movement of the piston-head that is, to the left-it contacts the bushing and moves it to the opposite end of the cylinder, thereby supporting the piston-rod during such movement. It is necessary, however, to provide means by which the piston-head and bushing may become locked with each other, so that they travel together during a portion of the backward movement or stroke of the pistonhead. In order to accomplish this result, I provide the forward end of the piston-head with a flanged locking-ring' g, which is preferably bolted thereto by means of bolts or screws L. It will be understood, however, that this flanged locking-ring, if desirable or necessary, can be cast integral with the follower-plate of the piston -head or some portion thereof, though I prefer to make such parts in two pieces secured together by bolt mechanisms, as above suggested. The bushing is provided with three pivotal locking-latches t', the forward free ends of which are adapted to engage with the locking-flange on the flanged locking-ring, as shown particularly in Fig. l, while the rear ends of suoli latches are pivoted to upwardly-extending arms j on the supporting-bushing. To keep these locking-latches in locking engagement with the piston-head, each locking-latch is provided with a lockingvra-,213

segment t, arranged in an annular groove Z in the periphery of the bushing. These segments have their outer surface or surfaces arranged to bear against the inner bore of the cylinder, and when in such position they move the latches against the tension of the unlocking-springs ya into their locking engagement, so that as the piston-head moves backward it carries with it the supporting-bushing.

To permit of the unlocking of the parts at a predetermined point, the inner bore of the cylinder is provided with an unlocking annular groove p, the front wall of which is arranged at a taper and the back wall substantially at right angles with the motion of the piston head. IVhen the lockingsegments reach this unlocking groove, the tensionsprings ymy force the latches, with their respective locking-segments, out into the annular unlocking-groove, the right-angular wall of which prevents a further backward movement of such supporting-bushing, while permitting the piston-head, with its rod, to continue their backward movements. When the piston-head is again moved forwardly, it contacts with the forward end of the bushing, as shown in Fig. 2, and continuing its motion moves the locking-segments forwardly over the tapered wall of the locking-groove, compressing such segments and swinging the free ends of the latches into locking reengagement with thc flanged locking-ring. These operations continue in an automatic manner as long as the pistonhead, with its piston-rod, reciprocates, needing no attention whatever from the operator unless some injury occurs to the mechanism or it is desired to inspect or lubricate the same.

I claim l. In mechanisms of the class described, the combination of a fluid-pressure cylinder, a piston-head movably mounted therein, a piston-rod secured thereto, an independent supporting-bushing for the piston-rod movably mounted in the cylinder, means for moving it forward and backward with the piston-rod, and means for stopping it at a predetermined point and holding it stationary while permitting the rod to move therethrough in either direction, substantially as described.

2. In mechanisms of the class described, the combination of a huid-pressure cylinder, a piston-head movably mounted therein, a piston-rod secured thereto, an independent supporting-lmshing for the piston-rod movably mounted in the cylinder, means for securing the bushing to the piston-head so as to move it simultaneously therewith during a portion of the head stroke, and means for releasing and stopping it at a predetermined point, substantially as described.

3. In mechanisms of the class described, the combination of a finiti-pressure cylinder, a piston-head movably mounted therein, a piston-rod secured thereto and extending out of one end of the cylinder, an independent bush- IOO IOS

IIO

ISO

ing surrounding the piston-rod and movably mounted in the Huid-pressure cylinder, latch mechanism for securing the bushing to the piston-head so that lit may travel therewith, and means for releasing the latch mechanism and stopping the bushing at a predetermined point, substantially as described.

4. In mechanisms of the class described, the combination otl a Huid-pressure cylinder, a piston-head movably mounted therein, a piston-rod secured thereto extending out ot' one end of the cylinder, an independent supporting-bushing surrounding the piston-rod and movably mounted in the Huid-pressure cylinder, latch mechanism pivotally secured to such bushing and adapted to lock with the pistonhead, lockingsegments for keeping such spring mechanism in engagement with the piston-head during a portion otl its stroke, spring mechanism bearing against such latch mechanism, and means for releasing the spring mechanism at a predetermined point, substantially as described.

Inmcchanisms of the class described, the combination of a huid-pressure cylinder, a piston-head movably mounted therein, a piston-rod secured thereto and extending out of one end of the fluid-pressure cylinder, an independent supporting-bushing surrounding such piston-rod and movably mounted in the fluid-pressure cylinder, latch mechanism pivotally secured to the bushing adapted to interlock with the piston-head, locking-segment mechanism movably mounted in the bushing t'or keeping the mechanism in interlocking engagement with the piston-head during a predetermined portion of its stroke, stop mechanism in the Huid-pressure cylinder for releasing the locking-segment mechanism at a predetermined point, and spring mechanism for throwing the latch mechanism out otl engagement with the head, substantially as described.

6. ln mechanisms ot' the class described, the combination of a iiuidpressure cylinder, a piston-head movably mounted therein, a piston-rod secured thereto and extending out of one end of the Huid-pressure cylinder, an independent supporting-bushing surrounding the piston-rod and movably mounted in the fluid-pressure cylinder, latch mechanism pivotally secured to the bushingmechanism and adapted to interlock with the piston-head so as to have the head and bushing move together during a portion of the stroke of the head, a locking-segment for each latch movably mounted in the bushing and bearing against the inner bore ot' the fluid-pressure cylinder to hold the latch mechanism in engagement with the piston-head, an annular unlocking-groove in the bore ot' the fluidpressure cylinder to permit the locking-segments to expand and unlock the parts, and spring' mechanism interposed between the pivoted latches and the bushing to unlock such pivoted latches, substantially as described.

7. In mechanisms ofthe class described, the combination of a fluid-pressure cylinder, a piston-head movably mounted therein, a pis-I ton-rod secured thereto and extending out of one end of the cylinder, a forwardly-projecting flanged locking-ring on the piston-head, an independent supporting-bushingsurrounding the piston-rod and movably mounted in the iiuid pressure cylinder, pivoted latch mechanism secured to the bushing and engaging with the flanged locking-ring on the piston-head, a locking-segment for each latch movably mounted in the bushing and arranged to contact the inner bore of the cylinder to hold its pivoted latch in locking engagement with the iian ged locking-ring, an annular locking-groove in the inner bore of the cylinder toy permit each locking-segment to expand, and spring mechanism interposed between the pivoted locking-latches and lthe bushing for unlocking such latches when the locking-segments have expanded, substantially as described.

8. In mechanisms of the class described, the combination of a fluid-pressure cylinder, a piston-head movably mounted therein, a piston-rod secured thereto and extending out of one end of the cylinder, an independent supporting-bushing surrounding the piston-rod and movably mounted in the fluid-pressure cylinder, a forwardly-projecting iianged locking-ring secured to the piston-head, a plurality of locking-latches pivotally secured to the movable bushing and adapted to engage or interlock with the flanged locking-ring on the piston-head, an annular groove in the periph- IOO ery of the bushing, locking-segments movably mounted in such annular groove and provided with a tapered and cylindrical periphery bearing against the inner bore of the cylinder to hold the locking-latches in locking engagement with the flanged locking-ring of the piston-head, an annular stop-groove in the bore of the cylinder having one tapered end and one right-angular Wall in which the lockingsegments are expanded and stopped to unlock the pivoted latches and stop the bushing, and helical spring mechanism interposed between the pivoted locking-latches and bushing to unlock such latches, substantially as described.

IIO

9. In mechanisms of the class described, the

combination ot' a Huid-pressure cylinder, a piston-head movably mounted therein, a piston-rod secured to such piston-head, an independent supporting-bushing movably mounted in the cylinder in sliding engagement with such piston-rod, means for moving it forward and backward with the piston-rod, and means for stopping and holding it stationary while permitting -the piston-rod to move therethrough in either direction, substantially as described.

l0. In mechanisms of the class deseribed,the

combination ot' a Huid-pressure cylinder, a piston-head.inovably mounted therein, u piston-rod secured thereto, an independent supporting-bushing,l movubly mounted in the eylinder in sliding engagement with the pistonrod provided with a eentrul opening therethrough for the admission of the piston-rod and with openings intermediate Such Central opening' and the periphery of the bushing, and means for moving such bushing' haekward and Aforward with the piston-rod throughout a portion of its stroke, substantially as described.

WALTER C. TROUT. Titnessesz JAMES LYONS, F. WV. VINKLER. 

